1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in outdoor furniture. More particularly the invention relates to easy to an assemble bench that is formed in combination with a set of planters.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many homes as well as restaurants and some commercial buildings have outdoor decks. Chairs, tables, benches and other outdoor furniture are placed on decks. Planters are also commonly found on decks.
Composite materials such as extruded plastic with and without fillers have become popular for decking boards and other outdoor structures because they can be formed in a variety of shapes and sizes and have lower maintenance and simpler installation at a lower cost than wood. Composite materials are nearly impervious to moisture and therefore will not rot or decay like natural wood. During their manufacture, composite materials can be tinted with dyes or other materials to provide a specific color to a component, thus removing the need for surface preparation and painting prior to or subsequent to construction or assembly.
Owners of decks may have the builder make cabinets when they build the deck so that the cabinets match the deck. It is also known to make wooden benches and planters to match the deck. It is easy to match cabinets, planters and benches to a deck when all of the structures are painted or stained. However, when dyed composite materials are used there can be some variations in color among lots of material. Therefore, it is desirable to build the deck as well as cabinets, planters and benches from the same lot of material.
There are a number of kits available for making a bench. These kits may contain frame elements to which lengths of boards are attached by screws or other fasteners. Some kits also contain the boards which are to be attached to the frame.
It is also known to provide a bench with side planters, one planter at each end at the bench. These products can be made of wood or plastic. They may be sold as an integral unit or the planters and bench may be sold as separate components to be assembled by the purchaser. However, these products usually will not closely match a deck in terms of either color or texture.
Consequently, there is a need for a bench with side planters that is made from the same boards as the deck. Preferably a kit is provided which contains the elements that form the frame or skeleton to which cut pieces of deck boards are attached. Therefore, the bench and planters can be made at the same time and from the same lot of decking boards as the deck on which they will be used.